Outlaw Platoon: Heroes, Renegades, Infidels, and the Brotherhood of War in Afghanistan
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Outlaw Platoon: Heroes, Renegades, Infidels, and the Brotherhood of War in Afghanistan1
Reviewed by Major Mark W. Malcolm*
Here are your sons, America. These are the men you've thrown into the fire. This is their story, and it is
one of achievement and love, triumph and victory.
I. Introduction
I start with a confession: I am not a voracious reader.
And although I enjoy learning about military history, rarely
do I go out of my way to read books on the subject.
However, in Outlaw Platoon: Heroes, Renegades, Infidels,
and the Brotherhood of War in Afghanistan, I discovered a
story that I struggled to put down and was sad to see end.
Sean Parnell, with the assistance of renowned author John R.
Bruning,3 crafts a riveting and remarkably detailed first-hand
account of one infantry platoon's experience during
Operation Enduring Freedom (OEF). Notwithstanding its
slight imperfections, this tale is must-read material for
anyone who seeks to understand the bonds forged by combat
and the incalculable human cost of war.
II. A Brief Summary
Lieutenant Sean Parnell was a fresh-faced Army Ranger
in 2006' when he deployed from Fort Drum, New York, to
the Bermel District of Afghanistan5 as the leader of Third
Platoon, Bravo Company, Second Battalion, 87th Infantry
Regiment.6 Outlaw Platoon, as the unit nicknamed itself,7
spent sixteen months downrange.' The unit patrolled and
fought in often mountainous terrain along the Pakistani
border, a spot that Parnell calls one of the most dangerous
places on the face of the planet.9 During this time, the
platoon endured repeated hostile engagements with a smart
and rugged enemy force. A partial list of awards earned by
Judge Advocate, U.S. Army. Student, 62d Judge Advocate Officer
Graduate Course, The Judge Advocate General's Legal Center and School,
U.S. Army, Charlottesville, Virginia.
' SEAN PARNELL WITH JOHN R. BRUNING, OUTLAW PLATOON: HEROES,
RENEGADES, INFIDELS, AND THE BROTHERHOOD OF WAR IN AFGHANISTAN
(2012).
2 Id. at 368.
3 Id. at back jacket notes (indicating that Bruning has authored or co-
authored fifteen non-fiction books and that Bruning embedded with
coalition forces in Afghanistan in 2010 as part of his preparation for this
book). Id.
' Id. at 1, 55.
5 Id. at xi.
6 Id. at vii.
7 Id. at 83. The Outlaw Platoon moniker appears to have emerged from a
pre-deployment bar brawl in which the unit's members prevailed. Id.
' Id. at ix.
9 Id.
Outlaw Platoon members during their OEF tour
demonstrates the astonishing hardships they faced: seven
Bronze Stars (including five for valor), twelve Army
Commendation Medals for valor, and thirty-two Purple
Hearts.1
The author's stated purpose in writing the book was to
chronicle [his] soldiers' incredible journey' in
Afghanistan, to tell the world of their amazing
accomplishments[,] and to secure their place in American
military history. My goal, Parnell says, was to show
the world their sacrifices and, in doing so, provide readers
with a much-needed window into the heart of American
infantry soldiers everywhere.3
Parnell's account is based on his memory and interviews
with his Soldiers.4 He arranges the story in generally
chronological fashion, doubling (or flashing) back from time
to time to offer context.15 Parnell successfully utilizes two
main visual aids: a straightforward map to orient the reader
to the locations that he references,6 and a set of photographs
that give the reader a chance to match faces to character
names. 17
III. The Book's Many Strengths
The book has a myriad of strengths. A few positive
points were identified above, but others merit special
mention. The story is largely written in accessible prose.
Parnell sweeps the reader in with vivid details about the
people, places, and things he encounters.8 Naturally,
because the book is about the Army, it contains a high
volume of acronyms and terms of art. Parnell is wise to
10 Id.
1 Id.
12 Id.
13 Id. at x.
14 Id.
15 For example, as Parnell flies over Afghanistan in a Chinook helicopter,
he starts discussing the Christmas that he had spent with his family two
months before. See id. at 2-3.
16 Id. at xi. The map shows the Bermel District of Afghanistan and
highlights key engagements, towns, bases, posts, and routes. Id.
17 See id. 182-83 (photographs of several prominent characters, including
the author).
18 See, e.g., id. at 1. Parnell uses clear, vibrant imagery such as a vast
dragon's back of peaks and valleys to describe the Afghan landscape. Id.
APRIL 2014 - THE ARMY LAWYER - DA PAM 27-50-491](ViewImageLocal?handle=hein.journals/armylaw2014&div=55&collection=&method=preview&ext=.png&size=3)
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Outlaw Platoon: Heroes, Renegades, Infidels, and the Brotherhood of War in Afghanistan
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